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BRONX, New York (Ticker) -- Although it is still May, a large crowd and a playoff-type atmosphere should be expected Tuesday night when the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees begin a three-game series. The Yankees are returning home from a 2-4 road trip and are 1 1/2 games behind the Red Sox for the lead in the American League East. New York was swept in three games by the Oakland Athletics, but became just the second team to win a series from the Seattle Mariners this season. The Yankees outslugged the Mariners, 14-10, on Friday and then got a run-scoring single from Derek Jeter in the ninth inning and an RBI groundout by Jorge Posada in the 10th for a 2-1 triumph on Saturday. New York failed to get the sweep as Roger Clemens was reached for six runs and six hits in seven innings as the Mariners posted a 6-2 victory on Sunday. Andy Pettitte (4-3, 2.93 ERA) comes off a strong outing for the Yankees. The lefthander went eight innings, allowing three runs and seven hits with one walk and eight strikeouts in Wednesday's 4-3, 10-inning loss at Oakland. He threw 143 pitches in that game and has given the Yankees at least six innings in each of his nine starts. Pettitte is 6-3 against the Red Sox and has split a pair of starts against them this season. He was tagged for five runs and a season-high 14 hits through six innings in a 5-4 defeat at Boston on April 15. But the 28-year-old Pettitte avenged that loss at home five days later when he fired a six-hitter for his first complete game of the season in New York's 6-1 win. Boston is 3-3 on its current nine-game road trip and owns an 11-10 record away from Fenway Park. On Sunday, Jason Varitek had his first career three-homer game and drove in seven runs to power the Red Sox to a 10-3 win over the Kansas City Royals. Red Sox designated hitter Manny Ramirez, who grew up a short distance from Yankee Stadium, hit his 15th home run Sunday. Ramirez leads the major leagues with 54 RBI and is one pace to break Hack Wilson's record of 191. Tim Wakefield (1-0, 2.21) makes his second start for Boston. After 12 appearances out of the bullpen, the righthanded knuckleballer gave up three runs and three hits over six innings in Wednesday's 4-3 loss to the Minnesota Twins. Wakefield made two apperances against the Yankees in April and limited them to one run and six hits in six innings. He is 4-5 lifetime against New York. The Red Sox won three of four meetings from the Yankees from April 13-16, but dropped two of three in New York the following weekend.
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